I loved Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants. Ape House  is a different book that tells a tale of endangered animals and the damaged people involved in their lives. 

It's got a mystery and a cast of unique human and bonobos. The signing apes reminded me of Koko. (I did a current events presentation on her in the sixth grade. Gruen mentions Koko  in her author's note.) I'm fascinated with the language studies and the signing.

Gruen show us that the strippers, porn media mogul, and some of the hard-core environmental terrorists aren't much different from the apes with their animalistic rituals and behaviors. In many cases the bonobos are more dedicated and caring than their human counterparts.  I cheered for the bonobos and the humans who worked to rescue them from exploitation on a reality TV show after a bombing at the university's language lab.

It's a quick winter read, and the author's passion for animals is evident in the novel.